


Turning Back The Clock

by MaximusMeridian



Series: Welcome Back to the Academy [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: After Finale, Basically, But nothing underage, Characters are a little OOC, Klaus calls Diego Papi, Luthor defends his siblings, Mentions of Kliego, Nothing Sexual, Sir Reginald gets told to shut the fuck up, Spoiler-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-30 00:47:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18304781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaximusMeridian/pseuds/MaximusMeridian
Summary: Five's time travel is a success and the Hargreeves are returned to their thirteen year old bodies. But they're going to make some changes this time around. Both in Sir Reginald's treatment of them, and their own growth.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work both in this fandom and in this series. The next installment will probably be some world building, but I'm not 100% on that yet. 
> 
> Either way, thank you for reading and please leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the story and my portrayal of them!

Waking up was startling, especially given that just seconds ago he had been looking up at an asteroid about to crash into them, hand in hand with his siblings.

          But now here he was, lying face down in his bed, very not dead in the Academy that was very not destroyed.

          “Five did it.” He whispered in disbelief. He knew Five could time travel, but bringing them all through time? That was just crazy talk! Yet… here he was.

          Diego sat up on the edge of his bed, stretching his arms over his head with a groan. His body ached less than usual. And, his hair was longer. 

          _Wait a minute… how far back had they gone?_

          Diego jumped off the bed and moved over to his mirror, looking up at his reflection in surprise.

          “Holy shit, I’m ten.” Diego whispered in shock. His face was so soft and round, without the familiar scar over his ear. Looking closer, he came to realize that he wasn’t actually ten. More like… thirteen. Roughly.

          His bedroom door opened, revealing Mom.

           
          “Good morning, Diego. It’s time to get dressed and go down for_ oh _goodness_.” She was shocked by Diego hugging her tightly around the waist. “Did you have a bad dream, dear?”

          Diego sniffled, shaking his head and pressing his cheek against her chest. She wasn’t dead in a pile of rubble. She was here and _alive_. Well, functioning.

          “Kinda.” Diego managed to whisper as he stepped back, rubbing his eyes. “It… it was rough. It felt like years.”

          “Well, it was only a dream, Diego.” Mom smiled reassuringly, petting his hair. “Now get dressed for breakfast, dear. We don’t want it to get cold.”

          Diego nodded quickly and walks to his closet, opening the door to reveal _… yep, those stupid ass uniforms. The blazer, the pressed white shirts… and the shorts._

          “Well, this isn’t a sweater and jeans, but, it’ll do.” Diego sighed, starting to get dressed. It took several minutes for him to remember how to do his tie, but he managed a pretty good Winsor knot.

Klaus would probably fix it if it looked bad anyway.

Diego’s heart ached a bit thinking about that. _Shit, if they were physically thirteen again… their relationship wasn’t going to continue the same way now. And they’d just started to find a rhythm._

Diego sighed sadly, putting on his shoes and walking out into the hallway. The other doors were already open, proof that his siblings were already downstairs for breakfast. The only other late to wake up was Klaus.

Klaus, who looked… so remarkably ordinary in his uniform. Without his fluffy curls and goatee. He looked so small and fragile as a child. How had Diego never seen that before?

What he did notice was that hollow look in his eyes, the feverish red tint to his eyes…

 _Oh, that’s right… thirteen is when Klaus started drugs to shut out the ghosts_.

“Klaus…” Diego whispered, looking at him with wide sad eyes. He stepped closer, reaching out for Klaus’s hand.

Klaus stepped away, shaking his head. “I didn’t take anything, I swear. I woke up like this… Shit, whatever it was, it was rough on my body. Guess I haven’t gotten an immunity to it yet.”

“We can get you off of them again.” Diego promised. “I’ll help. Just like before.”

“Gonna tie me in a chair again?” Klaus raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like at thirteen we’re going to be sweating it out.”

Diego winced. Klaus had a point on that. Sex was off the table for at least a few years.

“You haven’t been on them long.” Diego offered. “It could be easy. A little fever, but nothing worse than that.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Klaus said softly, absently scratching at the base of his hairline.

Diego stepped closer again, putting his hands on either side of Klaus’s face and gently pressing their foreheads together. “You promised to trust me, remember? Did that change because I’m not Papi anymore?”

Klaus smiled faintly, looking up at him under those long lashes. “You’re always Papi, Diego. Even if you are shorter than me now.”

Diego couldn’t help but laugh, stepping back. “Come on then. Let’s get some food and regroup with the others.”

Klaus followed him closely, staying within arm’s reach.

Down in the dining room, the others were sitting around the table in their places already, like they really were thirteen and following orders.

There was an empty place for Diego by Luther, and a spot for Klaus between Five and Allison. And sitting near the end, just beside Vanya…

“Ben!” Klaus nearly cried in surprise, running forward and wrapping his arms tightly around the other boy, who barely managed to stand up before being tackled.

The two boys hug tightly, staying like that for several minutes. And Diego couldn’t blame them. Ben had been Klaus’s constant companion since his death. Had seen him at his worst and his best. _Hell, had saved his life more than once at that._

“You’re here.” Klaus whispered as they finally pulled back, his eyes full of tears as he patted Ben’s cheek. “You’re real. You’re alive.”

“Yeah.” Ben chuckled, wiping Klaus’s eyes gently. “It’s me, Klaus. In the flesh.”

It seemed like that’s what brought the others to Ben’s side, everyone taking turns to hug the boy, Allison petting his hair a bit and sniffling quietly.

“What’s all this commotion? All this crying and blubbering.” Sir Reginald said as he entered the room.

Klaus seemed frozen, caught between some smart response and his ingrained fear of Sir Reginald.

“We missed Ben, Sir. It’s been a long time since we’ve been together like this and could act like siblings.” Luther, of all people, retorted.

“You were together before bed, Number One.” Sir Reginald scoffed.

“Sir, it’s been a lot longer than that.” Luther answered quietly, gesturing for everyone to return to their seats as Mom set out the rest of the breakfast dishes.

The kids all conversed throughout breakfast, mostly about the weird parts of being a teenager again. Five, of course, was an expert on that weirdness seeing as he’d been thirteen for almost two weeks. He wasn’t very helpful though.

Diego was pretty sure it was the caffeine withdrawals.

“Enough of all this. You all know we do not speak at the table.” Sir Reginald snapped in that authoritarian tone of his.

“Look, Father,” Five responded in a bored version of his usual sarcastic tone. “We just dealt with the apocalypse, almost died, found out all the faults of your parenting, and then time travelled. None of us are really in the mood for your obnoxious authority today.”

Around the table there was a round of snickers, the others obviously approving of their father being told figuratively to shove it.

“I don’t believe you would resort to such ridiculous tales, Number Five! As if it would convince me you’re any more ready to attempt time travel.” Sir Reginald said, his tone filled with distaste.

“Actually he’s done it more times than you’d ever believe now. He just has the formula a little off. So it puts people back into the bodies they were in during that time.” Allison explained before looking to Five. “Did I explain that right?”

Five nodded, a slight smirk tilting the corner of his lip. Clearly he was pleased one of his siblings had paid attention to his explanations.

“We came back further than I expected us to, but I’m sure Five knew what he was doing.” Luther added, looking to the boy in question.

Five sat up straighter, his smirk now in full effect. “Indeed I did, One. I had to choose a time in the past where we were all still together. Before I disappeared and before Ben’s death. So, we landed just a few days before the first time I time traveled."

Diego couldn’t help but feel like that was a very lucky shot in the dark, but he certainly wasn’t going to be the one to voice that.

“We also had to choose a point where Vanya would have plenty of time for the medication binding her powers to fade and for her to be able to control her power. Preferably without the use of some soundproof box.” Five looked at Luther and Sir Reginald pointedly in turn.

“Y-you guys want me to be part of the team?” Vanya asked quietly, speaking up for the first time all morning.

“Of course,” Luther nodded. “You’re one of us. And we were wrong not to see that before. I was wrong, not to see that before. So, if you’re willing to learn, I’m happy to help in whatever way I can.”

Vanya’s big eyes welled with visible tears, her breathing shaky. “That’s… that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“And we’ll make sure you’re never the odd man out again,” Diego spoke up. “You won’t be just Number Seven ever again.”

Vanya wiped her eyes, sniffling. “I won’t let you guys down.”

Diego glanced across the table at Klaus, who in turn gave him a proud smile. Clearly, Klaus agreed that those were the right words to say.

“And how did you all come to know of this knowledge?” Sir Reginald asked through gritted teeth.

“Same way I went to Vietnam, Daddy dear,” Klaus replied, doing a bit of jazz hands. “Time travel. And, can I just say, I am nauseous as hell!”

Five gave a small laugh. “That’s normal for time travel. Happens every time for me.”

“I’m glad it’s not my power.” Ben commented. “I’d hate that feeling every time I used my power.”

“Speaking of your power…” Diego glanced over. “How’re you feeling?”

Ben hesitated for a moment before admitting. “Solid. I don’t have to think to stay attached anymore. And, I can be further away from Klaus before I start getting hazy.”

“Does that mean you won’t be my best friend anymore?” Klaus asked, an exaggerated pout on his face.

“No, it just means that we can be in different rooms.” Ben laughed. “I’d be happy never having to sit in the bathroom for your morning dump.”

“No crude language, dear.” Mom called from her place near one of the windows.

“Yes Mom,” Ben answered immediately, looking sheepish. It was sweet how he seemed so excited to be addressed by other people. To be noticed again. It seemed like Vanya wasn’t the only one they’d have to put more energy into involving this time around.

“How do you feel… rumbly wise?” Klaus asked slowly, wiggling his fingers and making some sort of growly rumbling sound.

“It’s definitely there.” Ben chuckled, absently touching his own stomach lightly. “The Horror was… it was still with me when I was dead, obviously. But it didn’t feel real. It felt more like a foggy memory that just came to front when you pulled it out.”

“How did Number Four pull the Horror to surface if you were dead?” Sir Reginald asked in confusion, leaning in a bit as if he were actually curious about their discussions now.

“Klaus can conjure spirits into solid forms now.” Diego spoke up, wanting to brag about what the other had accomplished.

“Well, I’ve only done it with Ben.” Klaus said quickly, his cheeks turning pink. “And, it only lasts a couple seconds… and only if I’m stressed.”

“Remarkable.” Sir Reginald whispered, stroking his beard. “I’ll have to find a way to train that. It is a very valuable asset of your power.”

“I can’t do it with just any ghost!” Klaus insisted.

Sir Reginald interrupted, “But you could! With training, you could develop that power fully.”

“No mausoleum.” Luther said firmly. “It does damage, not helping.”

“That was used to help him overcome his fear of his power.” Sir Reginald defended.

“Well, it didn’t help.” Klaus responded sharply. “Instead, I started drugs at thirteen and stayed so high that I couldn’t hear them. I’ve overdosed so many times that the paramedics and rehab workers take bets on how long it’ll take before I’m back! So if ruining my life was your goal? Congratulations, Father of the year!” He was breathing heavy by the end, shock evident on his face. None of them had yelled at Sir Reginald in their childhood. Would have never even dreamed of it.

Sir Reginald straightened in his chair, obviously as shocked as everyone else about the outburst. He adjusted his tie, clearing his throat. “Well, does anyone else have a problem with my training methods?”

“No more isolation.” Luther answered first. “The mausoleum, the sound proof box, those have to go. Those did damage and, if anything stunted their growth. And we’re not going to be soldiers. You don’t have to be a father. We don’t want your affection or love_”

“Not that he’s capable of that.” Diego interrupted.

Luther nodded in agreement. “But we need your help. Your research into our powers is invaluable and we need to be as ready as humanly possible when the Apocalypse comes back around.”

“And what occurs in this… end of days?” Sir Reginald asked slowly.

The kids all glanced around at each other, Vanya looking guilty and like she was ready to cry again.

“Vanya was first chair in a concert.” Allison explained.

“And we were attacked.” Ben injected helpfully.

“It was a mess.” Five agreed.

“The moon exploded!” came Diego’s input.

Klaus nodded, bouncing his head quickly. “And Vanya’s power could have helped us stop it. She could have helped us, y’know, stop the balls of fiery rock.” He once again made some hand movements, adding a whooshing sound effect for good measure.

“Well,” Sir Reginald took a deep breath. “Then I suppose we will have to… adjust training and add Number Seven to the team. After breakfast, we will gather in my office to discuss changes. Will that be satisfactory?”

Luther looked around at the others, waiting for their nods of approval before turning back to Sir Reginald. “Yes Sir. That will work just fine for us.”

“Very good then, Number One. Now, everyone eat. Grace worked very hard on this meal, and I will not let it go to waste.” Sir Reginald nodded, becoming more formal again and picking up his silverware.

Everyone else followed suit, and for once, had a pretty nice and civil meal.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the love and kudos for the first chapter. I decided to add this part because there were some concerns brought up to me about Sir Reginald's behavior. In case it wasn't clear, he was playing them... he had no intention of becoming what they wanted. And some of them learn this the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There's a pretty descriptive anxiety attack near the end of the story. Please be advised, as I don't want anyone triggered by my work.

The children had gone down to lunch after a few hours discussing ideas on how to update their training regimens. Sir Reginald had listened with mild curiosity, gathering information on what they knew.

_They knew of Vanya’s power, something they could have learned from snooping in his office. And Five had been talking about time travel for weeks now._

_Still, the fact of them all coming together for such an intricate lie was… curious. He had to wonder who had orchestrated it._

_Certainly not Number One, though he had been rather improper in addressing Sir Reginald at breakfast._

_Number Two perhaps would plan that type of treachery, but he wouldn’t be able to convince all of them together. He wasn’t a capable leader._

_Number Three must have been involved in planning, convincing Number One to act so uncouth._

_But who was the ring leader of this little façade?_

The door to the office opened, revealing Pogo, the loyal butler.

“You wished to see me, Sir?” The primate asked politely, as he always did.

“Yes, Pogo, I need your assistance with something.” Sir Reginald explained. “I want you to search the room of Number Four. I’d like to see if there was any truth to his outburst this morning. And ask Grace to come to me. I’d like to discuss dinner preparations with her. I have something special in mind to celebrate the children’s recent…maturity.”

“You’re taking their wishes into account, Sir?” Pogo asked, obviously surprised.

Sir Reginald scoffed, “Pogo, surely you know better than that. This is an elaborate ruse they’re trying to put on. All children test their parents. I just had not been expecting them all to do so at once. Never the less, we will return to order. I must remind them of to whom the authority of this house belongs to.”

“The children are to be punished then?” Pogo asked quietly, his simian face shifting in concern.

“Not _punished_ , Pogo.” Sir Reginald assured. “ _Disciplined_ , and educated. I do not know what spawned this misbehavior, but it will be quelled before it causes undo damage.”

That seemed to calm the primate, whose feelings for the children was at times baffling.

“Worry not, old chap. I’m not a cruel man. I want the children prepared for what is to come. But in doing so, they must learn that these games of theirs will not go without consequence.”

Pogo nodded in understanding before leaving to collect Grace.

* * *

 

 

After supper, the children went to bed rather early, though that wasn’t concerning at all. Sir Reginald already knew the reasoning.

He was once again in his office, now joined by both Grace and Pogo.

Grace stood as poised as usual, a small and kind smile on her face.

“Did your search this afternoon yield anything, Pogo?” Sir Reginald asked from where he sat behind his desk.

The primate hesitated before approaching the desk, pulling two small baggies from his vest pocket. One full of pills, and another, papers rolled similar to a cigarette.

“I see.” Sir Reginald sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. “We have no choice then. We’ll separate him from the others to purge his system of these toxins. If they truly stunt his abilities then we must remove them before permanent damage is done.”

“Of course, Sir.” Pogo agreed, stepping back a bit. “That seems like the best option.”

“And Number Seven will return to her chamber so we can access if she has been off of her medications. We can’t have her power unleashed. The children don’t know what they’re meddling with.”

Grace spoke up then, her face stricken with worry. “The children are so happy, Sir. Spending time together. They’re excited for their studies and training in a way I’ve never seen in them.”

“Grace, this is not up to debate.” Sir Reginald said firmly. “Their powers are dangerous if not carefully monitored. If there is any truth to the growth of Number Four’s powers, the others will soon follow suit. I will not be responsible for that being released on the world.”

Grace’s expression saddened before her normal smile returned, “Of course, Sir. For the safety of the children.”

“Of course, Grace.” Reginald nodded. “Now, let’s work quickly. Before supper’s sedatives wear off.”

The three dispersed then, working quickly to relocate the children as necessary.

* * *

  


Klaus woke up, his head heavy and foggy and his body cold. He sat up slowly, trying to shift away from the cold.

“My bed’s never been this hard…” Klaus mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Come to think of it… his room wasn’t this dark either…

Wait.

“No, no, no…” Klaus’s breath caught, nearly a wheeze as he tried not to panic. He pulled himself to his feet, feeling along the walls behind him, getting closer to hysterical with every step.

“Oh god, no. _No, no_.” He moaned miserably, collapsing to his knees. It was still quiet for now, a result of whatever drugs his younger self had taken before, as well as whatever had been used to drug him. _And he was certain that there had been something. He wouldn’t feel this shit otherwise_.

He ran his fingers anxiously through his hair, trying to take slow deep breathes. But each breath ached more in his lungs, his eyes feeling fuzzier with each wheezy gasp.

_He hadn’t been here in years. Not mentally at least, but the effect was the same._

“ _Dave_ …” Klaus whispered hoarsely, between frantic breathes. He reached up for his neck, choking on a sob. _That’s right. He didn’t have his dog tags… because he was thirteen. He hadn’t been to Vietnam, had never met Dave…_

A wailing scream echoed around the stone walls, the sound echoing in the hollow space. Klaus covered his ears and tried desperately to escape it, only to realize it was his own voice.

But that didn’t help him stop it. It just made it worse. He screamed until his voice left him, until he had collapsed on the stone with no breath and pain in his lungs from lack of proper air.

“D-Diego…” Klaus whispered, or at least that’s how it came out. His throat was raw, his face stained with tears.

“ _Diego_ … somebody, anybody,” He tried again, swallowing a gulp of air. “Please… Please help me. Don’t… don’t leave me in the dark.”

* * *

  


In the basement below the house, Vanya awoke in her own nightmare. The box meant to contain her and her powers…

She’d broken through the box before, and all it took was the panic overwhelming her.

But that overwhelming feeling had led to the end of the world… _had almost killed her family and everyone else._ Vanya wasn’t going to let that happen this time. She wouldn’t let her father_ _no, Sir Reginald_ _ win. She was strong, like her siblings. _She could be brave like Diego and Allison. And she could be calm and patient like Ben._

So Vanya sat cross legged on the small cot, taking several slow and deep breathes. She just had to wait it out. To wait for her moment and play the tune required of her.

Her siblings had promised not to forget her, and she held that close to her chest. So long as that promise rang true… she could handle the box.

Because she is Number Seven, _the omega. The end of the world if she willed it… but she would hold strong because she never wanted to be what killed her family. She would never hurt them again…_

Thoughts like this continued to circle quickly through her mind, becoming a mantra.

_The White Violin plays her own tune, and no one else._


End file.
